The wind chill made us all quite frozen.
To say that it was work to climb is an understatement. I was glad that no one in our group of middle aged bifocals wearing (in my case overweight and out of shape) got hurt, especially on the climb down.
It is obvious that a great many people come to walk this part of the wall as the stone steps where one can hold on to the railing are severely worn down.
Our guide (life line) George is one of the 1980s boy children, the generation of the single birth. These young men now are looking to consider apartments. Average person in Bejing makes 5,000 RNB per month. A 900 sq foot apt in Beijing runs 1 M RNB so he calls his generation the "slave to the house generation." For one's first domicile, government bank will give a mortgage. Subsequent apartments must be purchased in cash.
He and his colleague David, spoke of the wonderful predestination for the orphans we came to adopt. There was no comment about the wonderful predestination for the children left behind in the orphanages... I held my tongue.
George told us of growing up often hungry... "The hungry times." It must be surreal to see the plenty that now surrounds him... Christmas music and decorations everywhere.
More views of the Great Wall and the kids...
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